Public places such as beaches, parks and gardens, areas near schools, bus stops and sports facilities will be tobacco-free starting July 1, the French health and family minister Catherine Vautrin said.
“Where there are children, tobacco must disappear,” the minister told Ouest-France on Thursday, adding that the freedom to smoke “ends where children’s right to breathe fresh air begins.” The fine for smoking in such areas will reach €135. Smoking will still be allowed on café terraces and e-cigarettes are exempt from the new ban.
Some municipalities have already introduced local bans, but the new rules will apply nationwide from July.
